Sweet Milk
by Oniichan Tatsuya
Summary: Set after the end of FMA Brotherhood, this is a yaoi/slash/gay/BoyOnBoy fanfic! Edward makes his way back to central city after completing his research on alchemy in foreign countries, and once back he realizes some milk really does taste good ;)
1. Chapter 1

Looking For Work

_A/N: Story takes place after the end of Brotherhood. I have read the first half of the manga, but don't expect manga for anything after that :)_

_This will, eventually, be a yaoi/gay/BoyOnBoy romance story, containing explicit sexual scenes. Turn back now if you do not wish to read such things._

_**Things you'll need to know:**_

_**-Linda is an OC, and will have a strong presence in this chapter only.**_

_**-Soda is a generic term for carbonated water, not colas and other soda pop.**_

_**-Edward will be slightly out of character and do thing he normally wouldn't, largely due to the fact he wants to prove he's not helpless without alchemy.**_

_**-1 USD = ~120 Japanese Yen = ~120 Cenz (FMA Currency)**_

* * *

~Edward~

It had been roughly one year since the incident with the homonculus known as Father had finally ended. One year since Edward's father Hohenheim, whom he had only recently been able to see for the first time since he was a kid, had died. One year since Ed's brother, Al, had regained his original body. And one year since Ed had lost his alchemy...

Originally he had seen it as a challenge waiting to be conquered, but as he continued going through his life and trying to do everything as a normal person, he realized it wasn't so simple. For starters it was difficult to accurately learn about the alchemy in different countries when he himself could no longer test it. _Not to mention I'm not a state alchemist, which means I have to find other ways to make money_.

As it were, Ed had gathered the information he could manage on alchemy in two other countries and was on his way back to Amestris to hand them over to his younger brother. _A lot of good they'd do me_. Edward was always smiling and had a confident gleam in his eyes over the last year, but he admitted to himself he just didn't want people to realize he was completely lost without his alchemy. He didn't need their pity, and especially didn't need their charity. There were plenty of ways to make money without alchemy. Ed just... Didn't know what they were.

As he walked down the street Ed came upon what he thought was a bar. The sign outside read "The Lucky Mistress", but in this country that could just as likely be a seamstress' shop. Capaleo, the nation just south of Aerugo, seemed to be home to the strangest folk, and seemed to have alcohol in every building. This particular building smelled slightly stronger of booze than usual, so Ed decided to trust his nose and open the doors, happy to see a half empty bar with barrels lining the walls. _Half empty, huh? _He wasn't surprised to find his outlook on the pessimistic side. After all he'd spent four months in this bizarre country, and once he managed to get out of it he'd still have to cross through Aerugo and half of Amestris to get to Central.

The young blonde sat down on a stool with a heavy sigh. He really couldn't afford to waste his money here, but he absolutely could not afford to stay sober until he crossed the border of Amestris. An old barmaid stepped up in front of the new customer, notepad in hand. At second glance she probably wasn't over forty or so, but it was clear age had no grace working on her, and she had surely had more than a few smokes in her life. "Whatcha drinkin, hon?" She asked in a surprisingly sweet but raspy voice.

Ed scratched his head, unable to remember the names of the strange drinks he'd had in other bars around the country. "Anything similar to whiskey," he said, hoping she at least knew what such a thing was. Yeah, the nation had booze in every building, but he recognize a single drink he'd had yet. Sure enough the woman returned to set a glass of purple liquid down in front of Edward.

"Take a sip and tell me what you think," she instructed. Ed complied, smacking his lips together as he tried to grasp the strange taste. It was definitely stronger than any whiskey he'd had, but it was sweet and tasted almost like like peaches. "Well?"

"It's uh..." He struggled to think of an appropriate way to respond. It certainly wasn't awful. "It's the best thing I've had since I crossed over from Aerugo." Well that wasn't a lie.

"My personal brew," she said proudly as she walked to greet another customer a few stools down. Almost every bar tender had served him their "personal brews", but this was the first one he was willing to drink, let alone not spit out of his mouth. _Finally someone who doesn't favor the taste of freshly spiced horse shit_. Ed quickly drank down the pleasantly tolerable liquid, pulling out his wallet to count the money he had left. _I could afford one more drink, but I won't have anything left_. He sighed and laid down 720 cenz to pay for the first drink, deciding he should save the rest.

The barmaid returned and grabbed the money, raising an eyebrow. "Amestris?" She asked curiously.

Ed nodded. "I had some research to do out here," he said. He always avoided mentioning what kind of research it was, since typically people would ask him to show them some alchemy, which he couldn't. Luckily the woman didn't ask any more questions about it.

"Want another?" She asked. She was plenty casual, but she seemed to demand respect as well._ I guess that comes with still working a bar at her age_.

Ed shook his head. "If I have another now," he said, "I won't be able to afford one tomorrow."

The woman nodded, seeming to accept that answer. "Ya know if you're hurtin' for money, there's only two ways to make it fast around here," she said. "You could sell your body on the street, or sell alcohol in a bar. With your looks your do well with the former, but I don't take you for the type to bed another man, let alone the type of men around here." Every word of what she spoke drove blood into Ed's cheeks, but she was right about him needing money fast. "Tell you what," she continued, "Come back and work the counter for me tomorrow at eight, and you can keep all your tips and free drinks today and tomorrow. Sound good?"

Ed considered the proposal, weighing the benefits. There really wasn't a good reason to decline. He certainly could use the money, and he wouldn't mind the free drinks. "Sounds good," he said finally. "My names Ed, by the way."

"Linda," the woman responded, grabbing his hand in an unexpected handshake. "So want another drink then?" Ed had barely smiled before another glass appeared on the counter in front of him. It might only be for one day, but he was was gonna enjoy his free drinks as much as he could.

~And Then~

Edward showed up back at The Lucky Mistress at 7:30 PM the next day. He was hoping to get a drink before starting to work, but Linda had other plans. "Showed up early without me even tellin' ya!" He said and smacked the blonde boy on the back. "We need ta get ya in uniform before ya start, and I can't reach the damned box of uniforms up in the cupboard."

Ed sighed in disappointment. "Alright I'll get it," he said. Linda waltzed back through the door behind the bar, not waiting before Edward started following her. It was a direct route through the shabby kitchen to the only other room that served as both an office and a bedroom. Linda grabbed a stool sitting in the corner and moved it next to the wall.

"Hop on up and grab it," she said, pointing at a rickety wooden crate on top of the high standing cupboards. Edward glanced at the stool, grimacing at the thought of having to use it to reach something. Instead he moved to stool over slightly and reached up to get the box, even extending to the tips of his toes, but fell more than a foot short of even touching it with his fingertips. Linda shook her head. "I put the stool there for ya ta stand on," she said. "Yur even shorter than me, but at least you're young enough to be climbing up on a stool."

Edward clenched his fists as he heard the S word leave her mouth. He couldn't very well use his fists to teach this woman a lesson, and he really didn't want to say anything to lose the opportunity to make a little more money. _And free drinks, of course_. Ed gritted his teeth together and moved the stool back into place, climbing onto it bitterly without a single word the the putrid woman who had insulted him. Much to his dismay, Ed found that even on the stool he could barely reach enough to grab the box and pull it down.

Once the box was in his hands he jumped off the stool and and kicked it over for good measure, earning a demeaning raised eyebrow from Linda. He ignored her and set the box on the desk, pulling out one of the dusty green pieces of clothing from the equally dusty crate. Brushing it off and holding it up he say it was the exact same long-sleeved green shirt that Linda wore, only the neck didn't dip as low. "That one's for a boy," she said, looking through the crate at the other available garments. "Looks like the smallest one here, too. If it's too big on ya we might have to put ya in a girl one."

Ed glared at her, throwing the shirt over his shoulder and leaving the room. "It's fine," he called back, barely keeping back an 'old cow' comment. He made his way to the bathroom and shut the wooden door of a stall behind him. Once it was locked Ed began stripping his clothes, first his red jacket, then his shirt and his undershirt until his torso was naked. After putting on the heavy green shirt he found that it was, in fact, a bit too big on him. He had several inches left at the bottom, but that wouldn't matter once he tucked it in. The real problem was the extra length on the arms, completely covering him all the way to his fingertips. He could always roll the sleeves up, but he figured Linda would have something to say about that.

Instead he used the two clips that normally helped keep his hair in place to pin up the sleeves at the elbow, shortening them to just reach past his wrists. He made sure to keep the clips covered so it looked more natural, and tucked the bottom into his pants. At this particular moment Edward was glad he had taken to wearing pants with a button and zipper, making the process of tucking the shirt not as uncomfortable as trying to shove the cloth into a tight waistband. Dressed and ready to go, Ed made his way out to the bar where Linda waited for the unveiling of her new servant.

"Beautiful," she said with a smile, "though I'm impressed it fits. Still a little baggy, but it'll do." She snagged Ed's normal clothes from his hands and took them to the back before swiftly returning with some kind of booklet in her hand. "You'll need this tonight," she said, handing him the small pack of papers. The booklet consisted of several thick pages bound in the corner by a metal ring, making it easy to flip through the pages. Each page had the name, description, and mixing instructions for all the drinks that the bar had, totaling at seventeen._ At least it's only seventeen_.

"Most of the customers already know what they like here," he said, "but if someone asks you a question you don't know the answer to, just make up something believable." Ed scratched his head, wondering how many of the bar tenders he'd met in this country who must have done the exact same thing to him when they didn't understand the kind of drinks he was asking for. "Time to get started. Any money in the bar that isn't for the tab is your tip, so shove it in your pocket and count it later." With that Linda was off, going from table to table to get drink and, occasionally, food orders.

As Ed started his own work with people who came to the counter, he found that Linda was mostly right about the customers knowing what they wanted. Unfortunately the customers weren't the ones making the drinks, and the small booklet of instructions wasn't very precise. _One part lime juice, four to five parts raspberry vodka, and two parts soda. Two parts soda, three parts Very Cherry Rum, and one cherry. One part preserved Apple juice, two parts Peachy Honey Vodka, and one part Very Cherry Rum._ All the ones that gave a range for the amounts to use Ed just did whatever would have the most alcohol in the drink. He had no idea what any of the drinks were, but most of the customers seemed happy enough, and the rest were too drunk to care.

_One part lime juice, two parts Very Cherry Rum, one parts Vanilla Virgin Vodka, and two cherries. Two parts apricot vodka, one part Peachy Honey Vodka, a spoonful of honey, and three parts pineapple juice_. As the night progressed Ed began putting the drinks together more easily, only using the booklet for a quick reference on some of them. Some of the customers didn't remember what they ordered, but were just as happy to pay for the drink set in front of them. T_wo parts Pineapple juice, one part soda, two parts raspberry vodka, and a lime in the glass_.

By the end of the night Ed had nearly beaten two rude bastards into the ground, and thrown out three at Linda's request. She may insist on how short he was, but it seems even she recognized how tough the small blonde could be. At any rate Ed had tips stuffed in all of his pockets, and still intended to have some free drinks. "Make some money, honey?" Linda's rough voice asked. When Ed turned around he saw the woman had two full glasses in her hands, which she on the counter in front of two stools, taking a seat at one. "Safe to count your chickens now." Ed took a seat at the counter next to her and emptied out all his pockets, piling crumpled bills onto the counter.

After flattening and counting the bills, Ed gave his report. "About thirty-six thousand cenz," he said, taking a sip of the drink in front of him. Not nearly his budget as a state alchemist, but it was more than he'd made in any week since he set out from Amestris.

"Pretty good, huh?" Linda said with a smile. "Ya know if you wanted to stick around, I could look into getting you a shirt you don't have to pin up." Ed glared at the countertop. _So she did notice_. "You'd make more money, too, if ya had more practice."

Ed scratched his head. He certainly needed a way to keep making money, but he couldn't afford to put off his journey home even another day._ At this rate I'll probably already be a day or two late to meet up with Al_. "Thanks for the offer," Ed said with as kind a smile as he could muster, "but I really have to get back to Central. I've got people waiting for me, and it'll take another four weeks to get back."

"Only if your brain is as small as your body," Linda retorted. She continued on before Ed could make a fuss about the small comment. "There's a train station three blocks from here, and you can be across the Amestris border in four days if just ask what transfers you need to take. Set half your profits from tonight aside for train fairs, and you'll still have plenty for booze on the way."

Edward scratched his neck with a stupid grin on his face. "Haha I guess that's a good point," he conceded. "Until now I didn't have enough money for the train, so I never really considered it." He swirled the half empty glass of liquid for a second before downing it in one gulp. _Still half empty_. "Thanks for the opportunity," he said cheerfully. "I guess I'd better head out."

"You could stay here and sleep in a bench if ya don't wanna waste money on a hotel tonight," Linda offered. "My usual bar tender is out sick, and I never woulda survived this Saturday night without your help." Ed nodded and accepted reluctantly. He really didn't want to accept charity from anyone, but since he only got the tips from tonight he saw this as Linda's way of paying him. _And I really doubt I have enough for a hotel, train, and booze_.

Ed accepted a spare blanket Linda gave him and wrapped himself up on one of the benches of the tables. The wood was hard, but at least the blanket was soft, and alcohol always did help him sleep. _When did I become such an alcoholic? _Edward had never had a drop of the stuff while he was in Amestris. Of course his eighteenth birthday hadn't come until after he'd set off, and it seemed the legal drinking age in most countries was eighteen._ It's eighteen in Amestris, right?_ Ed never thought about alcohol back home, and now he was worried the drinking age might be higher in Amestris.

Ed sighed and audibly laughed at himself. He might not even want to drink once he was back safe and sound, and if he did and the age was different, he could always get some drinks from other people. _Mustang certainly owes me a few_. As Ed's worries drifted away he thought of all the things he had been missing, and trying to forget about while he was away. His brother, Granny, Resembool.

_Winry_.

~And Then~

Ed woke up when sun began peeking through the blinds of the bar. He said farewell to Linda, mentioning that not all people had as thick a cow hide as she did. That was awarded with a slap on the back, and nearly getting kicked out while she laughed at him.

Edward made his way down the street to the train station, approaching a young looking girl at the booth to buy tickets. "Excuse me, ma'am," he said, awarding an attentive smile from the girl, "would you be able to help me plan a trip? I need to get from here to Central City, in Amestris, but I don't know what transfers I'll need to take." The girl giggled and nodded her head vigorously. She didn't say a word as she began flipping through pages in what appeared to be a book with a list of all the rail stations in the country in it. She wrote something on a piece of paper before closing the book before moving onto another, and then another.

"Here you go," she said as she handed the paper to Ed. "Sorry, the railway stations for each country are in different books, so it took a little bit of time. The first ticket from here will be thirty-five hundred cenz." Ed happily handed over the money, getting a ticket in return. "Hurry though," the girl said, "the train leaves in three minutes!" Ed hurried and ran to the train, showing his ticket as he boarded and took a seat at the back.

According to the girl's paper, the ride should take six hours before letting off at the first station in Aerugo. Plenty of time to plan for once he got back in Central.

~And Then~

_**Next time**__! A bit of irony for the young blonde Amestrian, taking place on the train! Stay tuned. Three reviews for a quicker update!_


	2. Chapter 2

Trouble on the Train!

_A/N: I'm a bit worried about this chapter. I really did't intend a Roy and Ed pairing for this, but sometimes stories just write themselves_. I guess I can mix it up next time!

_**Things You'll Need to Know:**_

_**\- Lieutenant General is the third highest rank of the army, and three ranks higher than Colonel.**_

* * *

~Roy~

Lieutenant General Roy Mustang, formerly Colonel Roy Mustang, sat on a bench outside the railway station in Lenzing, Aerugo. He wore a long brown coat and casual black pants, topped off with an ordinarily ugly hat. His new position had even more paperwork than when he was a Colonel, so he was glad to be out on an undercover operation. Normally for the type of operation it was a visible military presence would have been welcome, but rumors that the Aerugo government backed the possibly eminent hijacking stalled all visible military movement beyond the border.

Nonetheless the Lieutenant General enjoyed just being able to read a newspaper and kill time while he waited to board the train. Only when Roy saw a flash of red from the corner of his eye did he look up from his paper. The sight before him was a short blonde boy in a long red jacket who had just exited a train from Capaleo. _Fullmetal? _It couldn'tbe him, this far south, but sure enough the elder Elric brother stood before him at the ticket booth.

Roy moved closer, careful not to get in the young man's eyesight. "I need a ticket to Resembool," he said to the stout ticket vendor. The train leaves in five minutes. _He'll have to get the next one_.

"The next train leaves in five minutes," the clerk said, "I suggest you take the next one in twenty minutes." _Perfect_.

To Roy's dismay, Edward shook his head adamantly. "I'll catch this one, I don't want to waste any time." _Just my luck_. Edward was being unreasonable, not even taking time to rest before jumping on the next train. Then again, Fullmetal was never known for being reasonable.

Roy snapped his newspaper up to his face as Edward turned in his direction, careful not to look again until the boy had turned to walk away. Unfortunately, he was walking directly towards the same train that the Lieutenant General had less than five minutes to board. Stifling a grunt of irritation, Roy flipped up his hood and pulled it forward to cover as much of his face as possible. He walked through the crowd, brushing past people but still very careful not to come into contact with the young blonde as he passed him and boarded the train first.

Taking a seat two from the back, Roy pulled his hat down, his hood forward, and raised his newspaper in front of his face for good measure. He could barely see the tail of Edward's red jacket beneath his paper as the boy walked by, not stopping to take a second glance at the incognito Roy Mustang. Unfortunately, that didn't mean the coast was clear. When Roy sat up to glance around the train, the sight behind him made him duck back into hiding like a rabbit in rabbit season. _Why is Fullmetal sitting right behind me? He didn't see me, did he?_

It wasn't as if Roy didn't trust the ex-alchemist, per-say, just that he didn't trust the boy to recognize that the Lieutenant General was in disguise and not make a big fuss. Edward also wasn't known for being discreet. Regardless of the danger if Edward recognized Roy, there was also the matter that the blonde wouldn't be of any use this time around if something really did go down on the train, since he was a normal civilian now, and didn't have his alchemy to fall back on anymore. Roy smiled to himself at the thought of Edward, completely helpless, hiding behind the Lieutenant General as he fought off the hijackers. To think the prideful, rambunctious Fullmetal Alchemist might soon be cowering behind him for protection. It would be priceless, and Roy would have a great story to tell everyone back in central.

A deep chuckle rose in Roy's throat, and he was almost looking forward to the scenario. Fullmetal the hero, desperate to be protected by the Flame Alchemist. Roy continued to smile as the train started moving and the conductor moved through the rows checking people's tickets. Roy held out his ticket, glad that he no longer needed transmutation circles on his gloves to perform alchemy. _That would be a dead giveaway to Edward_. The conductor moved on and everything seemed fairly normal in the train car. It could only be hoped that nothing had begun in the other cars either, though if it did Roy had competent men in each car. In fact his car was the only one without multiple military personnel stationed.

_It's unfortunate Riza couldn't be here_. Ever since his promotion he'd been trying to get Hawkeye moved onto his new team, but the higher ups were adamant that her skills were more needed for less competent officers. That could be taken as a complement, but Roy didn't like being told no. He always got what he wanted. _Eventually_. After all he was still set on becoming Fürer in the upcoming years. _Though I can't push Grumman out of the way before he's ready, not after how he's helped me_. Roy felt the scars around his eyes. It had taken several skilled doctors and medically skilled alchemists, not to mention the last known Philosopher's Stone in existence. Nobody knew if it would actually be successful, and even after six months of recovery before removing his bandages Roy found that occasionally the vision in his left eye would turn blurry for several minutes at a time.

_But I can see_. Surprisingly enough the only side effect other than occasionally blurry vision was that the irises of Roy's eyes had turned a bright crimson color, likely due to the prolonged exposure of the Philosopher's Stone. Roy sighed and folded up his paper, shaking his head as he tried to stop thinking about the procedure to restore his sight.

"Trouble Colonel?" piped a familiarly annoying voice from behind him. Roy slouched down, embarrassed he had been spotted without noticing, and surprised Edward had recognized him and not said anything.

~And Then~

~Edward~

Edward got on the train, careful not to be obvious with his inspection of the disguised figure who had been rushing through the crowd earlier. He had only got a glance before, but he could have sworn... _Yep, it's that bastard Mustang_. He was attempting to shroud himself from sight, but the reflection of the window gave him away. Ed took a seat directly behind the Colonel, curious to see why he would be on a train in this area while wearing such a ridiculous disguise.

Unfortunately Ed got bored fairly quickly, as Colonel Bastard sat quietly and read his newspaper. The only amusement he got was when Mustang tried to look around the train and recoiled like a stretched out piece of rubber when he saw Ed sitting behind him. Since he didn't say anything and kept his head down from that point on it seemed he believed Ed hadn't seen him in that instant._ Even if I hadn't recognized you before, there's no way I would have missed it then_. Ed smiled to himself, glad that his presence made the man uneasy. _Cocky bastard always calling me short and trying to intimidate me. I wonder why you're so worried about me recognizing you._

After another hour of boring silence Ed was considering sleeping for the rest of the trip, until the Colonel once again caught his attention. Mustang let out an irritated sigh and shook his concealed head. "Trouble Colonel?" Ed spoke up, just loud enough for the man in front of him to hear. He took satisfaction when Mustang retreated deeper into his seat; a cornered animal hiding from a predator.

Ed smiled and stood from his seat, taking a seat next to the cowering man. "I almost didn't recognize you in the crowd, Colonel," he said with a dumb grin.

"Ah, Edward, fancy seeing you here," Mustang said as he scratched his head nervously. "What brings you to these parts?"

"Obviously I'm on my back home," He said, "since I finished my research abroad. You know I never took you for one of my fans, Colonel, and now all of a sudden you're stalking me. I'm flattered, but you should really take it one step at a time."

"Still the self-confident brat as always, Fullmetal," Mustang responded, seeming to relax a little. "And by the way, it's Lieutenant General now."

"Lieutenant General Bastard," Ed responded. "Nah, just doesn't flow as well. So what brings an Amestrian Military official to Aerugo, anyways?"

"Please keep your voice down," Mustang said quietly, adjusting the hood of his jacket. "In case you couldn't tell, I'm trying to stay incognito."

Ed scratched his head and laughed. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone can tell with that getup," he snickered. "Seriously, you should start having Hawkeye dress you for these things. If you're not in uniform you're a total sore thumb in the crowd." The man sighed again and opened his paper, returning his eyes to the pages.

"I'm on a military operation, Edward," Mustang said gruffly. "I'd very much like to not involve civilians, if at all possible."

"Even if that civilian has already identified the three men in this car hiding guns under their coats?" Ed replied cockily. "I know you're getting old, but it's as if you're not even trying to stay ahead of the enemy anymore. No wonder they only promoted you to Lieutenant General. I hope you're not still clinging to that dream of becoming Fürer."

"I get it, Elric," Mustang snapped, irritation coating his words like venom. Clearly Ed had hit a nerve for the man. "Where are they?"

"Back row, right side with a striped hat. Back row, left side with a buzz cut. Third row, right side with an emerald bolo. Plus the guy who checked the tickets, who isn't an actual conductor. I handed him the ticket from my last train and he didn't notice. He seemed more focussed on faces than tickets. I'd guess they already made you from the beginning."

~And Then~

~Roy~

Roy gritted his teeth, irritated that Edward had been able to identify four of the hijackers so quickly, leaving him in the dust. _I can't be losing my edge_. _I'm sure it's just because I've been so focused on avoiding Edward, I haven't been able to perform to my fullest_. Roy scanned the car nonchalantly, and found that each of the men Edward had identified, even the supposed conductor at the front, instantly became overly interested in something on the floor or walls as soon as the Lieutenant General looked their way. So not only had he correctly identified them, Edward had also been correct about their having identified Roy.

"Do you always search for criminals on the train?" he asked the blonde sarcastically.

"Only when I see someone overly suspicious," Edward replied, "but when I realized it was you, I decided there must be some kind of trouble. What are we working with?"

"**We** aren't working with anything," Roy said sternly. "I am here to foil a potential hijacking, which the Aerugo government may be involved with. Ergo the disguise."

Edward seemed to find that amusing, a stupid grin plastered on his face. The smiled slipped away into a look of determination when a second conductor entered the car, discussing something with the first one with occasional glances at the two. Roy reached in his coat for his military ID, but stopped when Edward firmly grabbed his arm. "We haven't crossed into Amestris yet," he said quietly, "so I don't think that will do much good. Leave it to me, I know you don't like to get your hands dirty."

Before Roy could stop him, the young blonde was out of his seat and standing directly in front of the two conductors. Roy couldn't hear the words being exchanged, but the two uniformed men both had hands underneath coats, ready to draw guns. Edward still had a chance to get out of this as just a rowdy passenger, as long as he didn't say anything stupid. J_ust wait. Fullmetal is rash, but I've rarely called him stupid_. Unfortunately, this would be one of those rare times, as Edward drew his left knee hard into one of the men's guts, grabbing the gun of the other when he drew it. The gun fired without a target, but very nearly hit Roy, the slug landing in the back of the seat a few inches from his arm.

"Damn it, Fullmetal," he yelled as he threw off his disguise and joined the fray, just in time to tackle Edward out of the way before he would have fallen to the gun of one of the other three men. "You're not in the military anymore, and you can't use alchemy. Get out of the way!" Roy only had an instant to react once he stood up, but luckily the four remaining gunmen who could stand were bunched together, and as Roy dove into another seat a spark from his gloves and a clap of his hands quickly scorched all four of them, leaving black outlines of their figures on the wall where their bodies had blocked the flames.

"Stay here!" He commanded the blonde as he opened the door to the next train and barreled into the mess that had started their as well. Regretfully he found that the situation here was different. Three of Roy's men were dead, two gunmen held guns to the heads of passengers, and two more pointed theirs at Roy. Fighting five armed men was no problem for Roy Mustang. Fighting five armed men without cooking the hostages as well could prove challenging. I_'m always best under pressure_.

Roy assessed the situation and determined the proper course of action in a second, however he never got the chance to act. During that second that he devised a perfect plan to take out the men without harming any passengers, Edward Elric barreled by him, knocking him down in the process, before jumping to attack the first man with a gun he saw. He was perfectly able to take the man down, but not without receiving a bullet to the right shoulder in return from one of the other men.

"Fullmetal you bastard," Roy yelled at him. He wasn't able to stand, let alone stop the interference, before Edward had become another hostage. _You've gotta be kidding me_. Of course the feisty blonde was still trying to fight his way out of it, but the boot of one of the hijackers coming down on his bullet wound forced a desperate scream from his mouth before forcing him to silence. Roy got back to his feet, brushing some dirt from his pants. "Now you understand why civilians shouldn't be involved, Edward?" Roy said to the boy held by gunpoint on the ground.

"Shut up... Bastard," the defeated boy muttered. "Just fry 'em."

Roy shook his head. "I can't stand to see you in such a pitiful state," he said, letting only a touch of anger into his voice. In truth his anger was at Edward, but he would let the hijackers think they were the object of his wrath. _I'll certainly be taking it out on them_. Roy sighed and rubbed his gloved hands together to make sparks around his hands for dramatic flair. It certainly had a wonderful effect on the fearful criminals before him. He focussed his mind on exactly what he wanted his flames to do once he unleashed them. There was a slight chance some of the hostages would get singed a little bit, but it was worth the risk.

Roy snapped his fingers and clapped his hand, turning the spark into a flame and sending that flame towards the first hijacker, the one who held a gun pointed at the helpless Fullmetal.

~And Then~

~Edward~

Mustang snapped his fingers and watched in surprise at the flames that sprang towards the man standing over him. It wasn't the violent explosions of flames that he was used to seeing from the Colonel- _or rather Lieutenant General, now_. Instead it was a precise, flaming projectile that blasted through the criminal's head, completely incinerating his head as it did. Even more surprising is that the blast of fire didn't stop there, but rather changed direction to run through the head of the next hijacker, and the next. In the matter of two seconds all four remaining men were annihilated, not enough time to even scream at what was happening.

Ed looked around at the other passengers in the train to find none of them had been harmed by the attack. _When did the bastard learn to do that?_ Ed tried to stand up, but his efforts were in vain as he winced in pain and clenched his right leg. As it turns out he had also twisted his leg during his attack on the first gunman.

"Edward," Mustang said from above, holding a hand out to help him up. Ed didn't want to reveal his secondary injury to the pompous man, so he reluctantly accepted his hand and sat directly in the seat next to them. "Take off your shirt," Mustang ordered. "I need to remove the bullet and cauterize your wound while it will still do any good." Ed complied and removed his white undershirt. Mustang's eyes stared intently at the wound as he took his right glove off and tucked it into his pocket. _Since when were his eyes red?_ It seemed quite a bit had changed about the former Colonel._ But he's still a cocky bastard_.

~Roy~

Roy took a deep breath before plunging the middle and forefinger of his right hand into the bullet hole in Edward's shoulder. The young blonde clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, and Roy could imagine the intense pain he was going through from when he had had bullets removed from himself. He pulled the bullet out quickly and tossed it on the ground. Roy snapped the fingers on his left hand and clapped his hands together, placing them over Edward's wound. A quick burst of flame served to burn the flesh shut, stopping any continued bleeding.

With a sigh Roy tossed his left hand glove on the ground. He hated having his white gloves stained, particularly with blood. It brought back memories he'd rather forget. He took a second pair of gloves from his pocket and put them on. "Edward," he said sternly, "stay here. I can't afford to save you again, and you can't afford to lose any more blood."

"Yeah..." The former alchemist had a blank look in his eyes as he stared at the ground. He didn't look up at Roy once, allowing the Lieutenant General a peaceful departure into the next car.

~And Then~

Without the interference of young Edward, Roy was able to clear the rest of the cars in less than twenty minutes, only managing to save about half of his men in the process. Roy had brought twenty men with him, and the hijackers numbered over forty. Only two civilians were injured, excluding Edward, and one had died. To any other military team, that would be considered a relative success. _But I'm the Lieutenant General, and above that the infamous flame alchemist_. By all precious accounts, Roy should have been able to clear the hijackers off the train with half the soldier casualties and not a single civilian scathed._ It's all because Fullmetal threw me off at the beginning_.

Roy was convinced if Edward had sat still, and allowed the Lieutenant General to wait for the proper moment, he could have taken out the four in his car without causing a commotion, and quietly move from car to car to clear out the rest. Roy shook his head. What had happened has already happened. By all means he was going to reprimand the young blonde, but there was no use dwelling on what could have been. _Honestly, Edward, you're not a kid anymore_. He made his way back to the car he had left Edward in and was pleasantly surprised to find the young man was still seated in the same seat as before. _Thank God he didn't cause any more trouble_.

The rowdy blonde was unnaturally still... _He's not dead is he? I cauterized his wound_. Roy knelt to look up into the face of the slumped boy in the seat. Sure enough his eyes were open and he was alive. As would be expected his jaw was clenched, likely from the pain of his bullet wound. But something else was out of place. His face was wet, almost as if he had been... A single tear streaming from his left eye left it beyond doubt. _Fullmetal... Is crying?_

~And then~

_**Up Next!**__ Will Roy be sympathetic and comfort Edward, or be his usual calloused self, ignoring the feelings of others? Who knows, maybe he's developed a soft spot for blondes in the last year. Tell me what you think will happen!_

_I will continue writing regardless, however I will require __**THREE UPDATES **__before I post the next chapter this time._ _Thanks for follows and favorites, but please review as well!_


	3. Chapter 3

A Different Kind of Trouble

_A/N: I don't have the story planned out on paper, nor in my head. I'm open to suggestions, but for the most part I just write whatever comes to mind! Thanks so much for the reviews guys. Let me know if you have any suggestions! A certain guest review seems to believe my writing is a bit sadistic. To that I say... It gets much worse after this chapter! This one is a bit shorter, but it was either make it this short, or twice as long, and I've made you wait long enough! Here ya go._

_**Things You'll Need To Know:**_

_**-I'm a huge Wheel of Time fan! The flame and the void~~**_

_**-October 27**__**th**__**, 1915 was just over four months before Ed's 17**__**th**__** birthday**_

_**-Edward's birthday is February 3**__**rd**__**, 1899**_

_**-Edward was 17 at the end of Brotherhood when he said goodbye to Winry**_

_**-The current year is 1917, sometime after Edward's 18**__**th**__** birthday**_

* * *

~Roy~

**Edward's face was wet, almost as if he had been... A single tear streaming from his left eye left it beyond doubt. Fullmetal... Is crying?**

Roy cleared his throat, standing up and averting his eyes from the pathetic scene in front of him. "Pull yourself together, Elric," he said as coldly as he could muster. "This isn't the first time you've been injured. You seem to heal up pretty well, and I doubt you'll even have a scar." Despite Roy's patronizing words he didn't get any sort of reaction from the boy. He scratched his head awkwardly, not sure what else he could do to kick the former alchemist back into gear.

Roy turned to walk away, intending to check on the injured soldiers who had survived, but stopped when he felt a slight tug on his jacket sleeve. He looked back to see an outstretched arm from Edward, and his limp hand weakly grasping the cuff of the Lieutenant General's sleeve. Aside from the arm now reaching out, the boy's appearance was completely unchanged. He opened his mouth to speak, but Edward's hollow voice beat him to it. "Roy," the young blonde spoke quietly. _When has Edward ever used my first name?_ That in itself was a surprise, but the fact that there wasn't even a drop of disdain in his voice was more so.

"Roy," Edward said again, "please... Keep this between us. If Al... Winry... If anyone found out how pathetic I am... I can still perform the first step of alchemy." The first step of alchemy... _Destruction?_ Roy knew for a fact Edward couldn't perform any step of alchemy, but perhaps he meant something else?

"I don't know what you're getting at," Roy responded as cooly as would be expected of his position, "but you can't perform any alchemy. If you could you would have done something during the fight." For the first time since Roy had returned to the car the blonde haired boy rose his head to look at the other man, dropping his hand back to his side at the same time. His eyes seemed to contain a flame, but that flame existed within an empty void.

"My final human transmutation," Edward explained, "on myself." Fullmetal was a scientist, pure and simple. He always spoke cryptically, but finally Roy understood. The first step of alchemy, destruction, and human transmutation on himself._ He doesn't mean an actual transmutation_. For some reason Roy couldn't help but laugh aloud, having to cover his mouth to stop himself short.

"For the love of God, Fullemtal," he said with a chuckle still in his voice, "even when you threaten to kill yourself you use alchemic vocabulary. I'm honestly curious to see your suicide note, because I'm fairly certain people would assume it was just your research notes." Finally, even though he wasn't trying this time, Edward's eyes gave up a glimmer of emotion._ As always, he instantly resorts to anger_.

"Well maybe I'll perform my final transmutation on you, Bastard!" Like that the blonde snapped from his emotionless void, the only thing left in his eyes a burning fire at being mocked. "I'll even carve a circle in your back, and if that doesn't work I'll carve more all over your body until it does!" Still Roy couldn't help his own laughter.

"Even when asking for a favor you're terribly morbid, Edward." Fullmetal shied back a bit, remembering what the conversation was about. Still the look in his eyes said 'If you don't keep quiet I'll tear out your vocal cords.' "I can be perfectly reasonable, Edward," Roy continued. "Perhaps we can make a mutually beneficial agreement. You want me not to tell anyone about this incident and I'm sure you'll need a job once we're back in central, and I happen to need a new assistant." Roy decided to let the rest say itself. He wasn't one to directly offer an ultimatum, but the suggestion was there.

In truth, he'd desperately wanted to brag about how the infamously feisty Fullmetal Alchemist had desperately needed Lieutenant General Roy Mustang's protection, but if he couldn't do that he would gladly accept the blonde as his obedient pet. _What will you do, Fullmetal?_ This offer was fully based on the concept that Edward was too proud to submit to the elder man's service, but an even stronger pride would never allow him to take his own life. Well, that was the theory...

"I'd rather go back to tending a bar," Edward said with an unsuccessful attempt to spit on Roy.

"Well I do have a cocktail bar in my home," Roy teased, "but I'd prefer you only assist me in the office. The pay would almost match your allowance as a state alchemist, but it would be your own money that you can save."

"I'm not so desperate for money that I'd work for you," Edward scoffed.

"But you are desperate to maintain your pride, Elric." The blonde's eyes glared at Roy as if the man had just fitted him for a noose. "I'm not saying I'll definitely tell people what happened if you refuse, I'm just saying I won't have any incentive not to." Edward glared at Roy, but it was clear he was, if only slightly, considering the proposal. "I'm not asking you to be my servant," Roy added, "you'd just be helping with paperwork and errands around the office. You've had worse jobs, it seems." The Elric boy gritted his teeth, seeming to seriously consider absolutely any option to get out of the situation. Just for a second a somewhat worrisome thought crossed Roy's mind. _What if he's so desperate he actually tries to kill me?_ It's not as if he was seriously concerned that Edward could accomplish such a feat. If anything it was likely that Roy would fry the blonde to a crisp accidentally. One thing was for sure, and that is the fact that Edward Elric couldn't be assumed to be beyond such a heinous attempt to maintain his pride.

"Suck it, Roy." The unexpected words from the other man's mouth startled the Lieutenant General from his thoughts, only to look up and see a slender middle finger extended from Edward's previously metal hand. Roy couldn't help but smile, for several reasons. _He's just as immature as he was, but it seems he has more control over himself. _A lingering afterthought didn't quite touch his mind, but still left a faint sense of pleasure behind. _That's the first time I can remember him using my first name._ "Just so we're clear," Edward said, "that's my of saying there is no way in all of non-existent hell I will ever be your assistant, and there is no way on Earth that you will live more than an hour from the first time you breathe a single word about what happened on this train."

Roy allowed a broad grin to paint his face. He didn't get what he wanted, and he was fairly certain Edward meant every word of his threat. _But at least Edward is back to his normal self. _As soon as it came the thought was gone, not quite significant enough for him to pause and consider why he would think such a thing. "Well then I guess you'll just have to find another way to keep an eye on me," Roy replied teasingly to the blonde. "There's no guarantee that I'll stay quiet."

"October 27th, 1915," Edward said with a faint smile. "That's my guarantee." Roy's own smile fell from his face as if it had never existed. He had thought that this was a small issue, something that could be taken lightly, but apparently Edward didn't see it that way. _He's completely serious. I didn't think he even remembered that…_

"I understand," Roy said blankly. "I won't say anything." Now the young blonde's smirk grew to a triumphant smile. Roy pulled at the hem of his shirt around his neck, finding it hard to swallow. For some reason it felt like he had more than one collar around his neck now, and the second one wasn't that of a shirt.

~And Then~

~Edward~

After the Amestrian Military Police arrived to take the criminals into custody the train continued on its trip, all the passengers on board deathly quiet after the day's events. Ed was glad for that. He didn't find it uncomfortable at all; in fact he saw it as a pleasant reminder that Mustang had left the train with the rest of the military personnel. As it was he was still shaking in his boots from his own threat. _October 27__th__, 1914._ He had never brought it up before, and with how drunk he had been at the time he was sure the former Colonel had assumed that Ed didn't remember anything. Up until now, he had been perfectly content to let that belief stand. Part of him still wished he had. _October 27__th__, 1915. Also known as the first time I had ever consumed alcohol._

It was a day filled with mistakes, some too embarrassing to ever mention, and some that would be career ending if they ever got out. Luckily Roy was under the impression that he was the only one who didn't want it getting out, so that meant Ed could use it as a weapon. _Roy?_ Ed shook his head. Lieutenant General Mustang. Bastard. Lieutenant General Bastard Mustang. As far as Ed was concerned the man's first name was Bastard, and that would never change. Ed sighed and forced himself to relax. This whole thing was a huge wakeup call for him. He could no longer pretend that he was just as competent without alchemy as he was with it. He may still be useful and able to do some things that would contribute to society, but he couldn't get involved in fights and military actions anymore. Ed let that thought soak in as he closed his eyes, and let his muscles relax.

~And Then~

Ed was awoken by the train's less-than-gentle stop at the station in Resembool. _I really ought to stop and see Winry._ Winry had stayed in Resembool, insisting that she needed to take care of Granny. Ed really did want to stop and say hi, but he was sure that Al had been waiting in central for him already, and if he took time to visit in Resembool he'd likely be forced to stay for just one night, which would turn into a two week hostage situation. Instead he resolved to come back once he was finished with Al in Central. _Al would probably want to come with me, anyway._

He went to the ticket booth at the station to buy a new ticket and re-boarded the train to wait the ten minutes before it left again. The train to Aerugo had taken six hours, the train to Resembool had taken ten hours after the hijacking scenario, and Ed hadn't taken a break in between. The trip to Central should only take two hours, though. He could manage another two hours without a bed and hot meal. It wasn't as if he hadn't spent half of the trip sleeping on the trains, and he had bought packaged snacks before boarding the first train.

The train lurched into motion, and Ed braced himself for what lay at the end of the tracks. It had been about a year since he last saw his brother, and if he was completely honest with himself he would be quite embarrassed if Al found out some of the things that had happened since the two parted last. Above all, he was sure his younger brother would be very disappointed with his new appreciation of booze. He didn't know why it bothered him so much that his brother might disapprove of his actions. Sure, he wanted to set a good example for Al, but the younger Elric was old enough to make his own decisions. _I just don't want to ever hurt him again._

~And Then~

_**Up Next! **__So what exactly did happen on October 27__th__, 1915? It's a bit worse than you're probably thinking! To put it simply, Edward wasn't the only one who had indulged in some drinks that night. You'll see._

_5 reviews to update please!_


End file.
